Kodak V803: 8 easy megapixels

WHEN digital cameras were still a novelty, it was difficult to imagine that they would one day become so ubiquitous or so powerful. Yet today, we have the likes of the new Kodak EasyShare V803, an 8-megapixel consumer camera that’s both feature-packed and easy to use.

Like other cameras in the V series, the V803 has a generous 2.5-inch high-resolution LCD display at the back and five buttons on its left that enable you to quickly toggle flash settings, review photos, delete them, tag pictures or videos for e-mailing or printing, or call up an on-screen menu for more options.

The compact (10.3 x 5.4 x 2.5) camera comes in a sturdy, smoothly rounded aluminum body that’s available in eight colors. Holding down the power switch at the top next to the shutter button brings the V803 to life and pops out its Kodak Retinar 3x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 36 to 108 mm).

You can shoot in auto mode for general picture taking or select from 21 different settings.

An on-screen menu activated by pressing the “SCN” button next to the power switch provides quick access to these settings, making it easy to adjust to a wide variety of shooting conditions (bright beach scene, light is behind the subject, candlelight, sunset) and subjects (distant scenery, close-ups or subject in motion).

The camera has only 32 megabytes of internal memory—enough for 10 shots at 8 megapixels—so you’ll probably want to add an SD card so that you can keep shooting without having to download and delete photos.

As you might expect, picture quality and color are excellent, especially in daylight and normal lighting conditions, and the 8-megapixel sensor picks up an incredible amount of image detail. The V803 also does a decent job of capturing audio and video in MPEG4 format.

The camera’s lithium-ion battery seems extremely efficient, and I was able to shoot for days on one full charge without ever having to worry about recharging.

My main problem with the V803—and it’s not a trivial one—is that there’s a noticeable delay of five to six seconds between shots, whether you’re shooting with flash or not. Dropping down to the lowest 1.2-megapixel setting doesn’t seem to make any difference. What this means is that the V803 is not the camera you want to use if you need to take follow-on shots quickly, say, to capture candid moments. By the time you’re ready to shoot again, that moment will probably be gone.

Another irritant is that the zoom lens cannot be retracted, even when you only want to view your pictures.

Unlike the V570 I reviewed a year ago, the V803 has thankfully shed the cradle in favor of a standard USB cable that you can connect to a computer. The camera comes with software for Windows and Mac OS X, but I was also able to import pictures into my Linux PC using open source software.

Retailing for about P16,995, the V803 is a capable and handsome compact camera that can take gorgeous pictures. If you don’t need to take them in quick succession, then you might want to give this one a closer look.

Pros: Sturdy and smart compact design, sharp details at 8 megapixels and good color, easy to use

Cons: Long delay between shots

Source